Hundreds of workers have lost their jobs at construction machine giant Caterpillar in Desford - many after months of employment in what they believed could be a long-term job.

The global firm released around 260 agency workers, contracted through Randstad, on Friday due to lower production volumes.

According to those let go the move came out of the blue.

Yvonne Atkinson, 55, from New Arley, whose 33-year-old son was an agency worker on night shifts said he had been left with no work with a wife and three children to support.

She added: “I know the workers were through an agency but many have been there for months and I think it’s really bad for hundreds of them to just be finished like that without any kind of comeback.

“Like my son these people have families to look after and they have just been shown the door. He was there 10 months on night shifts and he loved his job, he wanted to keep it and had been interviewed for permanent positions but never been given a reply.

“He had heard on the grapevine perhaps some agency staff would be finished at the end of the year but he didn’t expect this. It’s been a real blow. I feel really sorry for agency staff these days, it used to be that people were taken on say over Christmas when things were busy and they knew it was only going to be a few weeks, now they can be working for months on end and feel settled but then be dropped in an instant.”

A spokesman for the Caterpillar Building Construction Products Division confirmed it had released approximately 260 temporary workers, employed by Randstad, who previously performed roles throughout its factory at Desford.

He added: “This is a result of lower production volumes. The facility has a permanent workforce of about 1,500 employees.

“We understand this is difficult for temporary workers and their families and regret this action is necessary but we have to take these measures to keep our business positioned for future success.”

The Desford manufacturing facility is dedicated to the assembly of small construction machines, typically used on building and construction sites - backhoe loaders and compact wheel loaders.